The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-10-06

|
The boy in Charleston puts his head AM
legs to school, and his hands also becom
most expert in handling a rifle; but rifle
don't assist him to get living after h
| graduates. The boy in Mississippi put
head, legs, hands and eyes to school
Tho whole boy is taught, and he is taugh
how to farm on farm by mon who know
to 'do what they teach," not by "bool
farmers" and theorists. He never is al
lowed to lose the habits of industry an(
sympathy with labor he brings with hin
from his humble home, but continue,
during two or three hours Of each day tc
hoe, to ditch, "to fork manure" to milk
to make butter, to feed stock, TO graft, tC
bud, to prune, and do thousand things
or see them done that will DO of benefit
i'll after life.
1T will have been noticed that cd. ,
and oil of his brethren never omit in
their category of labors the "forking OF
manure" This is too degrading in theil
eyes for any white boy to do while al
school, and should be "taught at home. ,
Now, Of all things on Southern farms
this thing of making and handling and
sowing barn-yard manure is most ne
elected and least understood, while it is
the very life on essence of good farming.
The average farmer knows nothing about
1t and cannot therefore teach his son of
homo. But the editor of the Columbi
Register, who is cd. s" ally, has discov.
cred that "manual labor and attention to
the details of farm work arc inconsistent
with on advanced and comprehensive
curriculum" "That the students cannot
command the time or nervous energy to
properly master both"
This is news indeed, and COL Thomas
long experience as an educator gives it
great weight. Unfortunately he has had
no experience along that line and it is
only his opinion. Let us see what those
men think who have been studying and
teaching agriculture. On the Sth of July
past "The National Association of Teach
crs of Agriculture and Horticulture" met
at the University of Illinois. There we're
present Representatives of the land-grant
colleges of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Mich
lgan, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. They
adopted, after full discussion, with one
dissenting vote, the following resolution:
'Resolved, That wo favor regular,
compulsory labor by students on our ag-
ricultural college farms, but before that
it should be required only SO far as it is
designed to be instructive.
The opponents Of the separate agricul
tural college cannot, or will not, under
stand that the labor is insisted on for two
reusons-frst, as a means of practica!
illustration and instruction just as medi-
cal students are taught anatomy in the
dlsscctlng room, or low students practice
in the moot courts before going into the
court house. But mainly because if the
student at that formative period Of life
does nothing for four years but study
books and cultivate the mind, not three
in hundred will ever return to the farm,
where manual labor and physical energy
are absolutely essential to success. This
IS the whole thing in nutshell. sD."
says: cit is q question of taste whether
1T is better for tho farmers son to pay
money in college to learn law than to
fork manure, cut wood, &C." There is
no taste in the matter. To educate farm
ers experience has shown that labor is as
essential part Of the curriculum as che
mistay or vegetable physiology, and it is
better to even ''tork manure" than to
loaf or play poker and billiards, or smoke
cigarettes to kill time.
will notice only ono other point ilat
cd" makes-viz: that the Mississippi.
College "attracts by its chcapness as
much as by its agriculture" We will
grant this, if you please, but if the South
Carolina College only turns out less than
five "book" farmers to the hundred gra-
duates, while those of Michigan and
Mississippi can show fifty per cent. who
farm, it is enough to prove that in this
agricultural State" college like these
two is more needed and would be Of
greater benefit than five South Carolina
Colleges. But the bonus paid students
for their labor at these two colleges is
called the ''meal tub that contains the
sop, and we are twitted with having set
up Il "barrier across the pathway of the
South Carolina boy" because we were
opposed to free tuition in tho South
Carolina College except to INDECENT
youths.
The bill drawn by mo last winter to
establish an agricultural and mechanical
college In this State, but not introduced
for good reasons, called for tuition fees
"not to exceed forty dollars" but allowed
free tuition to those unable to pay. 1t
is natural to suppose that the college
would be practically 'free," except for a
few students. Suppose we shall demand
that it be absolutely "free" to all, will
the charge of Inconsistency and class
Legislation be thrown at us? OF course,
but with how little reason. There would
be no competition between the agricul-
tural and mechanical college and tie &c
nominational colleges, and consequently
no injustice. The class of studonts-poor
farmers oj-G--who would mainly fill up
heagricultural college would never think
of trying to go to the South Carolina
College or to the denominational col
leges, and if mon who are able choose to
send their sons there let them pay for it
as they do at Columbia.
3D." saves his best shot for the last
and winds up as follows: "Yet how is q
public sentiment that would not tolerate
free tuition only in the South Carolina
College going to be brought to the point
of teaching youth free aid paying him
besides? L pause for reply" You
2hall have it, my friend, with a vengeance.
You have forgotten something. South
Carolina does some queer things at times.
DID you ever hear of a school called the
Citadel located in Charleston? Do you
know that in order to educate sixty eight
poor boys this little State Of South Caro-,
lima spends $4,000 year, and not only
gives them free tuition but boards and
clothes them besides? Whether "public
sentiment endorses it or not has mover
been and may never be tested, but with
this fact staring him in the 1aca, and the
1 v,lx,yI l. -. L